Chapter 46 Lone Star Terrace
After eating the wontons, Wen Yao and Lou Chengyi said goodbye at the entrance of the alley, and Wen Yao went home carrying the moxibustion bones that Lou Chengyi bought for her.
When I walked into the courtyard, Zhao Xuanxu was sitting at the stone table, holding a piece of letter paper between his slender fingers, deep in thought. The thin black robe that slid across his knees was tangled with his dark hair, making it almost impossible to tell the difference.
Wen Yao hummed a song and walked over, swaying his muscles. "What's going on? Is there something wrong with the Supervisory Office?"
Zhao Xuanxu wanted to change his blood, which meant that he had to overhaul the Supervisory Office. There would always be some brave people who were unwilling to try to counterattack before their death, causing Zhao Xuanxu to kill more and more people during this period.
"No." Zhao Xuanxu stood up and walked to Wen Yao, handing her the letter. At the same time, he carefully looked Wen Yao up and down without making a sound.
"It's the Western Dynasty delegation, and one of the people accompanying them is Zuo Fengjiang's apprentice."
Wen Yao suddenly perked up: "He also practices the Burning Heart Technique?"
"I haven't tried it on anyone yet. We'll know after the banquet." Zhao Xuanxu reached out and grabbed Wen Yao's sleeve, hooking his fingertips, and couldn't help but want to touch Wen Yao's wrist. But in the end, he didn't, just circled his fingers on the fabric again: "He will also go to the Lone Star Tower."
Wen Yao was already familiar with Zhao Xuanxu's habit of grabbing people's sleeves, so she didn't react. She carefully wrote down the message from Zuo Fengjiang's apprentice on the letter paper, preparing to test him on the Lone Star Terrace.
Since the Northern Liao delegation arrived in Bianliang, Wen Yao knew why the emperor suddenly called her over for questioning and specifically asked her to attend the court banquet.
When Emperor Taizu of Tianshui founded the country and made Bianliang his capital, he ordered the reconstruction of the imperial palace and built a ten-foot-high platform inside the palace, which he named Lone Star.
The Lone Star Terrace was usually of little use, except for a piece of translucent white jade. Legend had it that this jade was a divine jade brought down from heaven by a phoenix after the founding of the Tianshui Dynasty, and it was engraved with inscriptions by immortals.
The legend is just for fun, but this piece of white jade is indeed the face of Tianshui. It is usually locked up on a high platform and guarded closely. Only during the Spring and Autumn banquets, court banquets, or sacrificial ceremonies does the emperor ascend the Lone Star Terrace to personally pay homage.
This time, after the Northern Liao delegation arrived in Bianliang, they went to the palace to meet the emperor as usual. No one expected that Yelu Huishi would make such a bold statement in front of everyone, saying that if Tianshui was the master of the Central Plains and was protected by heaven and earth, then no matter how many heroes rose up around him, Tianshui would be safe and sound, just like the magic jade on the Lone Star Terrace.
On the day of the court banquet, why not have warriors from all nations ascend the high platform together with the warriors from Tianshui, each demonstrating their own abilities? If the last person standing on the platform is from Tianshui within half an hour, Northern Liao will withdraw its garrisons outside the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun thirty miles as a sign of respect. If the victor is from another nation, Tianshui must relinquish the divine jade without regret.
Removing the modifiers, to put it simply, Bei Liao invited everyone to fight together after dinner.
Judging from the fact that the emperor called Wen Yao over for a talk so early, this was probably a plan that had been decided long ago within the Northern Liao court, and it was quite sinister.
If Tianshui won, whether Bei Liao would withdraw its troops was another matter. If Tianshui lost, it would lose face and lose the divine jade. If it later regretted not giving the divine jade, Bei Liao could use this opportunity to invade and provoke war.
Will the water be pumped that day?
Of course we had to fight. Not fighting meant we were afraid. Being cowardly without fighting was even more shameful and conspicuous. Not only did we have to fight, but Tianshui was outnumbered, so we had to win, and win beautifully.
Wen Yao's attention was all on disciple Zuo Fengjiang.
If she was sure that this person's martial arts skills were the same as Zuo Fengjiang's, then she wouldn't have to go all the way to Xichao. She could just detain him and force him to hand over his skills. How convenient.
A few days passed in a flash, and Qiongyu Tower, Duting Posthouse, and Song Mingde were both hushed and silent, devoid of any movement. On the day of the imperial banquet, the sky and earth were cold and clear, the sun shone brightly. Carriages flowed like flowing water, horses spun like dragons along the north-south Imperial Street, the sounds of phoenix flutes echoed, and figures scattered about.
Wen Yao smelled the scent of firecrackers in the cold air and felt a little happy. He climbed onto the carriage with the Xingyi Sword on his back and looked up at Zhao Xuanxu who was sitting inside and asked, "Hey, are we coming back to set off fireworks tonight?"
The Prince of Yan's Mansion is always deserted and there are no fireworks.
"Let it go." Zhao Xuanxu readily agreed: "I'll send someone to buy it."
As they approached the palace, the carriage stopped at the entrance to Fengming Street as usual. The banquet was grand and, according to custom, held in the Jiying Hall. From the main hall to the two corridors, the princes, envoys, and the tribute troops from various regions took their seats.
As Zhao Xuanxu and Wen Yao stepped into the hall, a young eunuch came up to lead the way. He bent over and led them directly to the third seat on the lower left side of the emperor, just face to face with the envoys from the Northern Liao countries.
The seats were arranged according to the order of the princes. The fourth prince was Prince Yong, followed by Prince Xiang and Zhao Xuanxu. Prince Qin sat at arm's length from Zhao Xuanxu, sitting to the left and in front of Wen Yao.
Wen Yao was seated behind Zhao Xuanxu, flanked by a row of important imperial officials. Zhang Yun sat among them, his figure as lush as jade and lush as pine trees. It was a stark contrast to the days before, when he and Wen Yao had squatted together, chewing peanuts.
After meeting Wen Yao's gaze, Zhang Yun winked at her, revealing a hint of narrow teasing.
The other ministers were also dressed in court robes, looking dignified. Wen Yao, on the other hand, with his hair tied up with a red string, dressed in a black suit, and a long sword slung on his back, looked out of place.
As soon as she sat down, the conversations of the people around her stopped and all eyes fell on her.
The King of Qin sneered beside him with an ambiguous smile. The King of Yong, separated from him by the generous and plump Prince of Xiang, drank calmly and calmly, his face as warm as a spring breeze, and he sat steadily, without any other reaction.
After the Yanling Incident, Princess Yong's two cousins were stripped of their official titles and exiled a hundred miles to Youzhou. Grand Secretary Xu, quick to kneel and admit his fault, was spared serious consequences, receiving only a three-year salary fine. From this perspective, Prince Yong's faction appeared to have suffered no significant losses, but only those within the organization knew the agonizing pain they felt.
The common people loved to watch the young heroes of Jianghu cleverly impersonating ghosts and gods to punish the royal family. After this incident, the reputation of the gentle and kind Prince Yong, which he had painstakingly cultivated for so many years, was tarnished. People said that the Prince Yong was weak and could not even control the Princess's family, making him an unsuitable candidate for the Crown Prince.
The emperor hadn't arrived, and the dishes hadn't been served yet. Wen Yao only had some fruit in front of her. Although fruits and vegetables were worth more than gold at that time, Zhao Xuanxu had a hot spring resort in the suburbs, where he grew a variety of fruits and vegetables, just like he did flowers. Wen Yao had no shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables. She peeled off the orange segments and looked up at Yelu Huishi, who sat across from her.
Yelu Huishi was also looking at Wen Yao.
Yelu Huishi didn't recognize Wen Yao when she was wearing a mask at Qiongyu Tower last time, but he knew who this woman was, a top martial arts master from the Central Plains.
After the last God's Day, the news that Xingyi Sword had returned to the court had spread throughout the world, and he had also heard about it.
Bai Xiaosheng's World Master Rankings didn't include masters from outside the region. Yelu Huishi couldn't help but feel skeptical. Could a woman who didn't look strong really have such high martial arts skills?
Everyone in the hall was lost in thought. A beautiful palace maid lifted the pearl curtain, and a eunuch emerged, singing, "Your Majesty has arrived!" All the ministers rose one after another, bowing in greeting.
The emperor, dressed in his imperial robes, sat on the throne, supported by palace attendants. Walking behind him was Song Mingde, dressed even more formally than usual. At his waist hung a golden sword, its scabbard ornately patterned, its handle inlaid with gemstones, hardly looking like a lethal weapon.
After standing still, Song Mingde raised his head and glanced down. His gaze passed over Zhao Xuanxu and fixed on Wen Yao with incredible accuracy.
Wen Yao knew that Song Mingde didn't see her in Qiong Yu Tower, so she let her see her, calmly bowed with everyone else, and then sat down.
It’s like this, the palace banquet can’t be said to be very exciting, but it can also be said to be very boring.
The dishes arrived one by one, cold and slightly greasy. Wen Yao bit off two slices of venison and watched with detached interest as the foreign delegations presented their gifts. Her gaze roamed among the envoys, finally settling on a feminine-looking man standing behind the Western Dynasty's chief envoy.
The man was probably in his early twenties, with delicate features. He was none other than Zuo Fengjiang's apprentice, Xue Shen.
Wen Yao was also the center of attention at the banquet, her gaze fixed intently on one spot, a fact Xue Shen naturally couldn't fail to notice. He met Wen Yao's gaze, somewhat bewildered. Then, thinking back to his master's evaluation of Xingyi swordsmanship and the upcoming Lone Star Arena competition, his heart sank, his expression growing solemn.
Unlike Yelu Huishi, Xue Shen had been with Zuo Fengjiang for some years. He had heard the name of Xingyi Sword Wen Yao from Zuo Fengjiang more than once, and knew that it was not Fei Ye Ke Hao Chunhe who broke into the Western Dynasty Palace at night to stop his master, but Wen Yao.
But how old was Wen Yao at that time? Was he in his twenties?
He is so young but can fight on equal terms with his master. How terrifying is his strength now?
The Northern Liao had openly staked its claim to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but the Western Dynasty hadn't. For the time being, the Western Dynasty wasn't prepared for a direct war with Tianshui. Xue Shen and his companions had come to try to please both sides: seek the hand of Princess Tianshui and negotiate border affairs with the Northern Liao. Therefore, Xue Shen was the most skilled of the envoys.
Northern Liao was eager for this challenge and had brought many warriors with them. Among them was Diela, a man of immense strength and renowned for his bravery across the grasslands. Diela was not at the table, and Wen Yao, propping himself up in his seat, heard his name called no less than three times.
Soon, the seemingly happy dinner ended. After the emperor promised Princess Jinyun a marriage with the Western Dynasty, he drank and finished the banquet. Then he stood up and led his ministers to the Lone Star Terrace.
The highlight of today is finally here.
Seats had already been set up around the Lone Star Terrace. The palace maids and eunuchs held ceremonial objects and looked down at the distinguished guests as they entered one by one.
It was the first time for Wen Yao to see the Lone Star Tower. She found that the Lone Star Tower was unlike other high platforms. Its shape was more like a tower, standing majestically above a huge lake, with a foundation of gold and stone, reaching up to the sky and leaning against the earth.
The palace maid rowed the boat slowly towards the long bridge on the lake, untied the chains on the bridge piles, and sank the bridge deck to the bottom of the lake.
Everyone around was a little excited, and even the concubines were led by the queen to sit behind the bamboo curtain to watch.
A concubine wearing a lake blue palace dress and with a graceful and charming appearance could not help but approach the bamboo curtain. She placed her slender jade fingers on the curtain, her cheeks flushed, and stared at the particularly outstanding Wen Yao in front of her with excitement, unable to hide it.
"Your Majesty." The palace maid beside her wanted to remind her not to behave improperly in front of the emperor and give Concubine Feng a handle, but Su Yi's suddenly cold eyes stopped her from saying the next word.
Su Yi raised her hand to smooth her hair: "Have you put away the snacks? Remember to find a chance to send them to Commander Wen after we finish."
With the support of Prince Yan's Mansion, she is completely different from the miserable orphan she was before.
The palace maid responded in a low voice.
Amidst the hushed conversations around them, Zhao Xuanxu suddenly reached out and gently grasped Wen Yao's wrist.
"Huh?" Wen Yao was confused and turned to look at him.
Zhao Xuanxu leaned close to her ear, his breath light yet intensely hot: "I'll have someone go back and prepare the banquet. Today is New Year's Day. Is there anything you'd like to eat, Ayao?"
How thoughtful! She didn't even eat a few bites of the superficial meal.
Wen Yao nodded seriously, pulled Zhao Xuanxu and muttered the names of the dishes.
At this moment, warriors from the surrounding nations had already stepped onto the open space between the fields. They all looked at Wen Yao at the same time. Seeing her relaxed and at ease, their vigilance increased several degrees, and at the same time, they also felt a sense of resentment at being looked down upon.
Xingyi Jian has not been on the master list for many years. No one knows how strong Wen Yao is now, let alone why she withdrew from the list.
Perhaps he was seriously injured and could no longer withstand the cruel challenges of the martial arts world. If they could defeat Wen Yao here today, their fame would be just around the corner.
Everyone was calculating in their minds. After Wen Yao finished telling them what dishes, noodles and snacks he wanted to eat, he was very satisfied. He stood up and walked past the ministers to Zhongli He.
Zhong Li He was dressed in a silver-white suit today, looking handsome and extraordinary. He didn't seem to have any objections to Wen Yao because of the Xu family's affairs. His face was as cold and serious as usual. He waited until Wen Yao came to him before politely calling him "Commander Wen".
Wen Yao waved his hand to indicate that there was no need to be so polite.
There was a loud bang of drums next to them, and the game full of the thoughts of Tianshui and Beiliao officially began.
As soon as the drum sounded, Wen Yao took two steps forward and stood on the top of the Lone Star Terrace in an instant.
Lone Star Terrace stood ten feet high, like a sheer cliff. Yet, she soared up there effortlessly, effortlessly, without even needing to rely on anything. Such a light-footed acrobatic skill was unbelievably unseen. The audience below gasped, looking up at Wen Yao in astonishment.
Xue Shen stood aside, his expression becoming complicated as he thought of the Flying Leaf Guest Hao Chunhe who had broken into the Western Dynasty Palace at night with Wen Yao.
In reality, only the Northern Liao were looking for trouble. While the others weren't exactly on good terms, they were all trying to show respect for Tianshui and wouldn't actually touch their ancestral white jade. They were just joining in, and the ones charging to the front were all Northern Liao warriors.
Zhongli He and the others successfully stopped most of the people. However, among those they failed to stop, there was a man who was exceptionally large and muscular, with muscles bulging like mountains. He had a shaved head, small, muddy yellow eyes, and a face as ferocious as a demon.
As he rushed out, the man pushed someone aside with one hand, sending the person flying backwards and spitting blood. The imperial physician who was waiting nearby came forward to examine him and was surprised to find that the man had several broken ribs.
Moreover, this man with brute force like a ferocious beast was surprisingly agile and had great skills in lightness skills. He stepped on several remaining wooden stakes on the lake and rushed straight towards Wen Yao.
This person is the notorious Diela.
It is said that he was extremely brave and belonged to the Orudo cavalry, the personal army of the Northern Liao emperor. He had been to the battlefield and slaughtered alive several villages and towns on the Tianshui border.
Diela climbed a rock like a wild beast, and soon he stood in front of Wen Yao, raised his fist as big as a palm fan and whistled towards Wen Yao's face.
The muscles on his face twitched slightly. The anticipation of this beautiful woman's head turning into mud made him uncontrollably excited.
This punch carried a strong internal force and the power of thunder. It was conservatively estimated that it could penetrate a stone more than half a person's width.
Wen Yao looked extremely small in front of Die La. The extreme impact of the scene made the civil servants watching below unable to bear to watch and closed their eyes.
Wen Yao's eyes were fixed, his expression unchanged. He took a step back with his right foot and raised his hand to block the punch without hesitation.
The two men's fists collided. Wen Yao's arms were extremely steady, and the bricks and tiles on the eaves of the Lone Star Terrace under his feet shattered like a spider web, making a crisp crackling sound.
After the punch, the one who took a step back was Diela.
He took a step back and stood firm on the edge of the Lone Star Terrace, staring at Wen Yao with gloomy eyes.
Wen Yao curled her lips, feeling that this man was indeed very strong, and her palms were numb. Then she looked down at the broken glazed bricks under her feet. Her first reaction was that it was fortunate that they were not in Qiongyu Tower, so she didn't have to pay for it.
However, in order to ensure that the Lone Star Terrace could remain intact after this battle, Wen Yao drew out the Xingyi Sword. After the sword rang out with a clear sound like a dragon's roar, the tip of the sword, shining like a star, was already an inch away from Die La's eyes.
This sword was as powerful as a rainbow, and its internal force was as strong as a tidal wave, which could not be avoided or blocked.
Diela's eyes narrowed slightly, and he had to take a step back and leap off the Lone Star Terrace. After landing, the Xingyi Sword was still following him like a shadow, about to pierce Diela's forehead.
Die La slapped the ground sideways, then used his momentum to barely avoid the fatal move, leaving a bloody mark on his shoulder and back.
In the distance, Yelu Huishi's expression suddenly changed. He had thought this woman was strong, but he hadn't expected her to be this strong.
The severe pain stimulated Die La, and his breathing became heavier. He pulled out a pair of crescent-shaped swords from behind his waist, roared, and rushed straight towards Wen Yao.
His inner strength was strong and fierce, and his moves were very flexible despite their wide-open and closed movements, which really lived up to his reputation. Unfortunately, the person standing opposite him was Wen Yao, and every move was firmly blocked by him.
Wen Yao wielded the Xingyi Sword, each movement flowing effortlessly, yet each strike felt as heavy as a mountain. Her movements were dense, like galaxies scattered across the human world, overwhelming and overwhelming. Anyone standing across from her could easily be unnerved and suffocated by the pervasive murderous intent.
As time went on, Diela's mood became increasingly unstable.
He and the people of Bei Liao were feeling uneasy, but the people of Tianshui were feeling settled.
"This Diela seems to have served as a cavalryman." Someone said, "Although the Northern Liao is powerful, our Tianshui is blessed with outstanding people and strong men, and we are not inferior to them."
As soon as he said this, someone immediately responded: "Indeed, the Central Plains martial arts have a long history, how can they be compared to the barbarians."
"Yes, wasn't that the reason the King of Qin recruited us?"
Yelu Huishi stared at the center of the lake with an extremely ugly expression. After cursing Diela as a waste, he suddenly stood up and shouted something to him in Liao language.
The Liao people who were still fighting by the lake immediately gritted their teeth and forced their opponents to retreat. They turned around and stepped on the wooden stakes to go to the Lone Star Terrace, ready to besiege Wen Yao.
"Third Prince, please be patient." The King of Qin sat across from him, drinking, and said in a half-sarcastic tone, "Isn't it only halfway through?
Yelu Huishi closed his mouth, stood for a while with a grim expression, and slowly prepared to sit down.
But before he could even touch the stool or swallow the King of Qin's wine, in that brief moment, everyone in the room suddenly heard a thunderclap, and clearly heard a terrified voice from behind: "No! There's an assassin! Protect the king!"
Protect the emperor.
These two words represent specific meanings and are usually shouted out loudly by people around the emperor after he is assassinated.
But now we are in the heavily guarded palace, with guards everywhere, so how could there be assassins?
Almost no one reacted, even the emperor himself.
Several palace maids who had been gathering around the emperor, holding incense burners and silk cloths, suddenly dropped what they were holding without warning, or drew daggers or soft swords from their waists, or pulled out long hairpins from their heads, flew in front of the emperor and were about to stab him.
The muscles on Song Mingde's cheeks tensed, and he suddenly drew out the golden sword from his waist and blocked the attack horizontally.
No one could have imagined that another assassination attempt would occur within the palace, so soon after the God's Day celebration. The guards, hidden in the shadows, quickly rushed out to fend off the assassins, but they were surprisingly skilled, and it was they who were put in a difficult position.
Song Mingde stopped the leading female assassin, who was beautiful.
Song Mingde's eyes passed over the edge of her face and he immediately knew that she was wearing a human skin mask. The face was unfamiliar, but the eyes so close to him seemed familiar to him.
It was he who stopped the assassin from the Red Pavilion on the day of the God's Day.
Song Mingde recognized these eyes.
He frowned, his face not looking good, and said fiercely: "Hongge, it's you scoundrels again."
Jiang Qiaosheng, who was wearing a human skin mask, suddenly narrowed his eyes, turned his wrist, and several silver needles flew towards Song Mingde mercilessly.
The silver needle was shining and it was obvious that it was coated with a deadly poison.
Song Mingde's shoulder muscles tensed, and he suddenly exerted force to turn the blade to block the poison needle. Without dodging or evading, he took a step forward, protecting the emperor, who stood up with the help of a chair and looked ashen.
Jiang Qiaosheng stared at his movements and praised him: "Good dog, I was also wondering, why you again?"
What a troublesome eunuch.
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